Ken Colburn

Principal and US Program Director

Kenneth (Ken) A. Colburn directs RAP’s U.S. program. He advises energy and environmental regulators on air quality and climate-related issues, including beneficial electrification and streamlining energy and environmental regulation.

Mr. Colburn came to RAP in early 2011 from Symbiotic Strategies, where he led several state climate planning processes and provided strategic assistance to foundations, progressive companies, and nongovernmental organizations in their efforts to address climate and energy issues. Previously, Mr. Colburn was executive director of the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM) and led the Air Resources Division of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES). He helped position New Hampshire as a leader in reducing air pollution with the nation’s first “four-pollutant” law and the first greenhouse gas emissions reduction registry. Before joining NHDES, Mr. Colburn was vice president of energy and environmental policy at the Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire (BIA), representing the state’s business community on environmental, energy, and telecommunications matters in legislative and regulatory forums.

Mr. Colburn holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and master’s degrees in business administration and education from the University of New Hampshire. He serves on the board of the New Hampshire Electric Cooperative, the National Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives (NRECA), and several non-profit organizations.

Featured News and Events

State and federal utility regulators have traditionally controlled the electric power industry through their decisions. But rapid technology change means cleaner, lower-cost, and more resilient options for meeting customers’ energy needs are or soon will be available. Customers may soon have cost-effective options to meet their own energy needs through transactive platforms and markets. Regulators...